Three Bolters Who Could Step Out Of The Shadows

England coach Trevor Bayliss may have been the one finally to end all speculation over Ben Stokes’ involvement in the upcoming Ashes, but it was Joe Root’s tacit if almost unnoticed acceptance they would have to do without him some days earlier that provoked more food for thought.

- Peter Hayter

By the time Bayliss told reporters he “hadn’t got a clue” when Stokes might next be available following his arrest outside a Bristol nightclub and that he had written him off for the series, surely only those living on Button Moon still believed the Durham star still had a snowflake’s chance in hell of making the trip anyway.

What Root had said on arrival, therefore, no matter how trite it might have sounded on first hearing, was actually far more on point.

“It’s obviously disappointing Ben’s not going to be with us,” said his captain and close friend. “But it gives others opportunities to stand up, put their stamp on Test cricket and do something special.”

As they prepare for the first action of the tour, against Western Australia in Perth this weekend, those words should be in the hearts and minds of all his players, even, reflecting on his own disappointing experience there four years ago, simmering quietly inside the skipper, too.

But whereas, as Root is now established as one of the top four batmen in world cricket, a stellar series from him would not exactly qualify as a jaw-dropper, those who think England’s chances rest just as heavily on the performances of the less obvious might nominate three clear contenders for the job of providing England’s X (for unexpected) factor.

From the trio of “fringe” batsmen, which also includes Gary Ballance and Dawid Malan, could James Vince turn out to be the one who is more than the Aussies are bargaining for?

On hearing of his selection, some might have been tempted to ask the Hampshire batsman for his lottery numbers. With an average of 19 from his first seven Tests and a poor season in the Championship in which he averaged just 33, it was no surprise that he himself expressed huge surprise that England should take another punt on him.